Through Bullets and Blood, chapter 1
"The feeling two people can get when they're together and just the right song comes on, I can't describe it. And then the crushing pain when that song ends to take someone away, can't describe that either...right?"
Dressed in all black, people congregated around the grave of a young woman whose picture was framed atop the casket waiting to be lowered into
the ground. Billie, a young man of about sixteen, stood grim-faced among the onlookers.
Later, in his bedroom, Billie sat on his bed strumming an acoustic guitar, still dressed in the suit he wore to the funeral. His door inched open as his mother peered inside and watched him play. He continued, apathetic, as she sat down next to him.
"I bought you that guitar when you were 13." she said, trying to keep the big question out of vocalization. Billie continued, not saying a word. "Well, alright, I'll leave you alone." she said as she got up to leave.
"Yeah, that's real motherly." Billie said, finally answering.
"Well, what the hell do you want me to do then?" his mother asked.
"Maybe if you wouldn't been such a whore and gotten pregnant when you were 16 you'd know what to do." Billie answered.
"Listen to me, you little bastard, I may not be the best mother, but I'm still your mother and that means you've got to treat me with more respect whether you want to or not." She finished and headed for the door. Billie lost it. He jumped off the bed and smashed his guitar into the wall, sending pieces of it flying everywhere in a shower of wood.
"And why the fuck do I have to respect you?! Because you kept me away from the girl I loved and now she's sleeping with corpses?!" He yelled.
"You know what? You just stay in this room then until you figure out what you want." With that, his mother slammed the door, almost tearing it apart as she left. Billie slumped down on the bed, looking down at his shattered guitar.
TWO WEEKS EARLIER...
The bell rang, signaling the end of school. A young woman, about sixteen, was making her way to her car when someone caught her by surprise, hugging her from behind. It was Billie.
"I didn't think you'd leave without saying hi, Carrie. I thought you were different." Billie said.
"Well, you thought wrong." Carrie said jokingly.
They both laughed and gave each other a kiss.
"Oh, so you wanna go somewhere on Friday?" Carrie asked.
"You know my mom, I can hardly breathe without her keeping tabs on me. But I'll try and sneak out to come get you."
"I don't want you to get in trouble because of me." Carrie said.
"No, I won't." Billie reassured her, and waved her off as she got into her car and left. Billie watched her go before a voice behind him caused him to turn around.
"You never get tired with her, do you?" the voice said.
Billie saw the source of the voice. It was Kevin.
"Can't you just leave me alone, Kevin?" Billie said, annoyed.
"You know what happened, you stole her from me." Kevin said.
"You're crazy." Billie waved him away.
"Really, am I?!" Kevin yelled as he punched the brick wall of the school with his left hand, causing an audible crunch from his hand. He pulled it back and it hung limply as he laughed, despite the situation.
"You better believe that's broken." He said, still smiling.
"My point exactly. Get that checked out, it looks like it hurts." Billie said as he started to leave.
"Four years, Billie, I've loved her for four years. And you? You just trying to get some ass?"
Billie scoffed at him and continued to walk away. "Seriously, what're you trying to do?" Kevin asked.
"Seriously?" Billie asked, "I think I might even marry her."
"Oh, you're not serious." Kevin said unbelievingly.
"Maybe I am." Billie taunted him further as he left.
Friday night came around and Carrie was waiting outside of her house for Billie to come get her. Billie finally pulled up in his car, and Carrie ran out to it, giving him a kiss and climbing in.
"It looks like you got out all right." Carrie said.
"Yeah, for a couple hours until she find out." Billie said.
The sound of distant thunder rumbled in the sky.
"A storm?" Carrie asked.
"It doesn't sound like it's that close. Let's go see a movie" Billie suggested.
"I was thinking the same." Carrie said, sealing the deal.
Later, Billie was focused on the wooded road, with light only from the headlights of the car.
"I could've sworn this road led to the main one." Billie said, stumped.
"Yeah, you see, it's not a shortcut if it take like 20 minutes longer." Carrie teased him.
As soon as the line was uttered, the car rolled to a stop. Billie banged the steering wheel.
"Damn it! I filled this thing up with gas yesterday and it's already out." Billie said frustratedly.
"So we're stuck in the middle of nowhere?" Carrie said with a hint of fear in her voice.
"I think I've got a gas can in the trunk." Billie said, getting out and going around to the trunk. He started digging around in the trunk when a pair of headlights flared behind him, coming towards them. The car pulled up alongside them and out climbed none other than Kevin.
"Oh, it's you, what a surprise." Kevin said, not a hint of surprise in his voice.
"What're you doing out here?" asked a suspicious Billie.
"You should be glad I came out here, I can help you out." Kevin said.
"I don't need your help, I'm fine." Billie said, cold.
An eerie air surrounded the scene as Kevin looked around smiling.
"You know, there's probably no one around here for miles. You could dump a body here and no one would find it for a while, don't you think?" Kevin asked.
Billie started to get a little scared. "I wouldn't think of it like that, but, I guess you could." he said.
"You out of gas?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah, I thought I had -- wait, how'd you know?" Billie asked.
Kevin just kept on smiling. "I don't want to hurt Carrie." he said, "I love her, you know? But every time I see her with you, I just can't control anything I do."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Billie said, backing away.
Kevin took something out of his jacket. "Like I said, you could dump a body here and nobody would find it for ages." Kevin said, pointing the gun he just pulled out at Billie.
"Stop it, it's not funny. You're not serious about this." Billie said, trying to convince him.
"Really?" Kevin asked mockingly.
Carrie stepped out to see what was happening. She saw the gun and froze in fear. "Oh my god." she muttered.
"Carrie, this is for you." Kevin said. He was about to pull the trigger when Carrie rushed in front of Billie, and before anything else could happen, the trigger was pulled and two bullets threw themselves into Carrie's back, splattering her and Billie with blood.
"NO!!" Billie screamed out, grabbing the gasping Carrie in his arms. In an instant there was the image of two bloodstained lovers holding each other as one struggled uselessly to stay. Carrie could do nothing but stare at Billie, hoping he would do something. "...Billie..." she kept uttering.
Billie couldn't say a word as she went limp in his arms. Kevin dropped the gun and fell to his knees.
"No, impossible. That was supposed to be you."
In the same way, Billie fell to his knees, not letting go of Carrie.
"It was supposed to be YOU!!" Kevin yelled louder. Billie just stared dumbfoundedly, as if in a dream.
"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!!!" Kevin's words rang the night air as he took the easy way out, snatching up the gun and raising it to his head. Screaming the words over and over before a gunshot silenced him forever. Billie could only watch once again as another unthinkable situation occured, and he was left alone, pulling the bloody body of his lover closer as tears rolled from his eyes. Thunder rumbled again and rain began to pour, completing the horrific picture.
PRESENT DAY...
Billie was in the graveyard, holding a boquet of roses and a brand new guitar. Putting the roses in front of Carrie's grave, he got down on one knee, putting his guitar across the other.
"I couldn't even tell you I loved you before it happened, I guess we both died that night." He said to her, starting to play his guitar. "I wrote this song for you, it's called 'A Ballad For Lovers'. Just listen to it."
From a distance, Billie's mother watched. She approached him as he finished the song.
"Are you just gonna stare or move on?" his mother asked.
Billie stood up, walking past her. "You gonna make me break another guitar." was all he said.
Dressed in all black, people congregated around the grave of a young woman whose picture was framed atop the casket waiting to be lowered into
the ground. Billie, a young man of about sixteen, stood grim-faced among the onlookers.
Later, in his bedroom, Billie sat on his bed strumming an acoustic guitar, still dressed in the suit he wore to the funeral. His door inched open as his mother peered inside and watched him play. He continued, apathetic, as she sat down next to him.
"I bought you that guitar when you were 13." she said, trying to keep the big question out of vocalization. Billie continued, not saying a word. "Well, alright, I'll leave you alone." she said as she got up to leave.
"Yeah, that's real motherly." Billie said, finally answering.
"Well, what the hell do you want me to do then?" his mother asked.
"Maybe if you wouldn't been such a whore and gotten pregnant when you were 16 you'd know what to do." Billie answered.
"Listen to me, you little bastard, I may not be the best mother, but I'm still your mother and that means you've got to treat me with more respect whether you want to or not." She finished and headed for the door. Billie lost it. He jumped off the bed and smashed his guitar into the wall, sending pieces of it flying everywhere in a shower of wood.
"And why the fuck do I have to respect you?! Because you kept me away from the girl I loved and now she's sleeping with corpses?!" He yelled.
"You know what? You just stay in this room then until you figure out what you want." With that, his mother slammed the door, almost tearing it apart as she left. Billie slumped down on the bed, looking down at his shattered guitar.
TWO WEEKS EARLIER...
The bell rang, signaling the end of school. A young woman, about sixteen, was making her way to her car when someone caught her by surprise, hugging her from behind. It was Billie.
"I didn't think you'd leave without saying hi, Carrie. I thought you were different." Billie said.
"Well, you thought wrong." Carrie said jokingly.
They both laughed and gave each other a kiss.
"Oh, so you wanna go somewhere on Friday?" Carrie asked.
"You know my mom, I can hardly breathe without her keeping tabs on me. But I'll try and sneak out to come get you."
"I don't want you to get in trouble because of me." Carrie said.
"No, I won't." Billie reassured her, and waved her off as she got into her car and left. Billie watched her go before a voice behind him caused him to turn around.
"You never get tired with her, do you?" the voice said.
Billie saw the source of the voice. It was Kevin.
"Can't you just leave me alone, Kevin?" Billie said, annoyed.
"You know what happened, you stole her from me." Kevin said.
"You're crazy." Billie waved him away.
"Really, am I?!" Kevin yelled as he punched the brick wall of the school with his left hand, causing an audible crunch from his hand. He pulled it back and it hung limply as he laughed, despite the situation.
"You better believe that's broken." He said, still smiling.
"My point exactly. Get that checked out, it looks like it hurts." Billie said as he started to leave.
"Four years, Billie, I've loved her for four years. And you? You just trying to get some ass?"
Billie scoffed at him and continued to walk away. "Seriously, what're you trying to do?" Kevin asked.
"Seriously?" Billie asked, "I think I might even marry her."
"Oh, you're not serious." Kevin said unbelievingly.
"Maybe I am." Billie taunted him further as he left.
Friday night came around and Carrie was waiting outside of her house for Billie to come get her. Billie finally pulled up in his car, and Carrie ran out to it, giving him a kiss and climbing in.
"It looks like you got out all right." Carrie said.
"Yeah, for a couple hours until she find out." Billie said.
The sound of distant thunder rumbled in the sky.
"A storm?" Carrie asked.
"It doesn't sound like it's that close. Let's go see a movie" Billie suggested.
"I was thinking the same." Carrie said, sealing the deal.
Later, Billie was focused on the wooded road, with light only from the headlights of the car.
"I could've sworn this road led to the main one." Billie said, stumped.
"Yeah, you see, it's not a shortcut if it take like 20 minutes longer." Carrie teased him.
As soon as the line was uttered, the car rolled to a stop. Billie banged the steering wheel.
"Damn it! I filled this thing up with gas yesterday and it's already out." Billie said frustratedly.
"So we're stuck in the middle of nowhere?" Carrie said with a hint of fear in her voice.
"I think I've got a gas can in the trunk." Billie said, getting out and going around to the trunk. He started digging around in the trunk when a pair of headlights flared behind him, coming towards them. The car pulled up alongside them and out climbed none other than Kevin.
"Oh, it's you, what a surprise." Kevin said, not a hint of surprise in his voice.
"What're you doing out here?" asked a suspicious Billie.
"You should be glad I came out here, I can help you out." Kevin said.
"I don't need your help, I'm fine." Billie said, cold.
An eerie air surrounded the scene as Kevin looked around smiling.
"You know, there's probably no one around here for miles. You could dump a body here and no one would find it for a while, don't you think?" Kevin asked.
Billie started to get a little scared. "I wouldn't think of it like that, but, I guess you could." he said.
"You out of gas?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah, I thought I had -- wait, how'd you know?" Billie asked.
Kevin just kept on smiling. "I don't want to hurt Carrie." he said, "I love her, you know? But every time I see her with you, I just can't control anything I do."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Billie said, backing away.
Kevin took something out of his jacket. "Like I said, you could dump a body here and nobody would find it for ages." Kevin said, pointing the gun he just pulled out at Billie.
"Stop it, it's not funny. You're not serious about this." Billie said, trying to convince him.
"Really?" Kevin asked mockingly.
Carrie stepped out to see what was happening. She saw the gun and froze in fear. "Oh my god." she muttered.
"Carrie, this is for you." Kevin said. He was about to pull the trigger when Carrie rushed in front of Billie, and before anything else could happen, the trigger was pulled and two bullets threw themselves into Carrie's back, splattering her and Billie with blood.
"NO!!" Billie screamed out, grabbing the gasping Carrie in his arms. In an instant there was the image of two bloodstained lovers holding each other as one struggled uselessly to stay. Carrie could do nothing but stare at Billie, hoping he would do something. "...Billie..." she kept uttering.
Billie couldn't say a word as she went limp in his arms. Kevin dropped the gun and fell to his knees.
"No, impossible. That was supposed to be you."
In the same way, Billie fell to his knees, not letting go of Carrie.
"It was supposed to be YOU!!" Kevin yelled louder. Billie just stared dumbfoundedly, as if in a dream.
"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!!!" Kevin's words rang the night air as he took the easy way out, snatching up the gun and raising it to his head. Screaming the words over and over before a gunshot silenced him forever. Billie could only watch once again as another unthinkable situation occured, and he was left alone, pulling the bloody body of his lover closer as tears rolled from his eyes. Thunder rumbled again and rain began to pour, completing the horrific picture.
PRESENT DAY...
Billie was in the graveyard, holding a boquet of roses and a brand new guitar. Putting the roses in front of Carrie's grave, he got down on one knee, putting his guitar across the other.
"I couldn't even tell you I loved you before it happened, I guess we both died that night." He said to her, starting to play his guitar. "I wrote this song for you, it's called 'A Ballad For Lovers'. Just listen to it."
From a distance, Billie's mother watched. She approached him as he finished the song.
"Are you just gonna stare or move on?" his mother asked.
Billie stood up, walking past her. "You gonna make me break another guitar." was all he said.
